The present invention relates generally to an inertial instrument. More particularly, the invention pertains to accelerometers used as sensors for measuring linear accelerations and rotation rates and accelerations of a moving body.
Vibratory gyroscopes taking many base forms, such as disks, tuning forks, cylinders and hemispherical shells base their sensing capabilities upon precession of a standing wave in a vibratory member. Such devices typically find use in commercial avionics and navigational systems and provide a very high degree of sensitivity and accuracy required in those fields. Other types of rotation sensors rely on more conventional motor drive gyroscopes to indicate rotation. Shortfalls of either general types of rotation sensors, that is those relying on vibratory members or motor driven gyroscopes, include size, cost, requirement for power input to maintain a detectable quantity and in the case of motor driven gyroscopes moving parts such as gimbals, ball bearings, slip rings and other mechanical features.
Many automotive systems would benefit from a low cost rotational quantity sensor. Non-exhaustive exemplary system usages include vehicle navigational systems, chassis control systems, such as active suspensions and active rear steering, and anti-slip regulation systems such as antilock braking and limited slip acceleration.